A Perfect Revenge Story
by StardustRose22
Summary: Akiza Izinski is the new girl in the senior class, angry at the world. Yusei Fudo is smart, attractive, talented and the most popular kid in school. Who would ever have guessed that their paths were going to cross in the most unexpected way?
1. First Day in Hell

Author's Note: Hell-o everyone! Welcome to my second chapter story for _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_! I wouold first like to thank everyone that read "Don't" and "The Stardust Effect," very single favorite, follow and review meant the world to me. I had the idea for this fanfiction for a really long time and decided to write it. I guess part of this is just to bitch about the general _yuck _of high school, but the other half is more a life lesson: you never truly know somebody until you walk around in their shoes. Every single day, I try to see the good in every person I meet, and _my_ life has changed for the better. So, I hope you all enjoy the story, it takes place from Akiza's perspective throughout. Which is weird because I think she's a Mary-Sue, and I don't ship Yusei x Akiza... (I really don't ship unless its canon, I just find it really hard).

*disclaimer: I do not own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. _But I think we already know that*

My alarm blares Flyleaf and I open my bleary eyes. I feel my stomach clench and think- _oh God, not yet. _I turn my eyes to the iPod docking station on my nightstand and grimly comprehend the red, fuzzy digits smirking back at me. 6:01.

I throw off the heavy blankets and groan, letting my arms fall and my hands cover my face. I don't want to go to school. I don't want to start my life all over again. I'm perfectly content living in my parents' basement as a hermit watching HGTV all day. As my groggy brain realizes that my parents would never allow that, I throw my legs over the side of the bed, annoyed, and roll on to the floor. I let the cold hardwood against me numb my skin and wake me up. I pick myself up and grab the bundle of clothing I had picked out the night before and head to the bathroom to shower.

Its funny, when I was a kid I took baths. My mom would help me into the tub and washed my hair while I laughed and blew bubbles at her. Back then, even _bathing _was a social event for me. Now, in the dark bathroom, I let the hot water sear away the stress of teenage life. Alone. Not a shiny, floating bubble anywhere in sight.

My parents were still asleep, or at least my mom was. Dad was most likely already at work- he's never around in the day. He has a tough job, I get it, but he comes home every single night in a rage about something. Generally, he's just angry for no reason.

I get dressed and dry my hair. I consider not wearing makeup, but I decide against it. I feel too…exposed when I don't wear makeup. Like I can't fake smiles or nonchalantly pretend that I frankly don't give a damn. Its like my wall- it reminds me that I have to pretend, or at least try to pretend.

I grab my bag and head out the door. I shove my earbuds into my ears and crank up the volume. Music seems to be my only escape- behind the wall of caked-on foundation is raw emotion, and behind black-rimmed eyes was my hurt and pain. Music is the only way I can express those feelings.

I had tried so many times to sing, to write, to play. But every time I sat down, determined to do it, something got in the way. Like writer's block, only I had never even started writing. That, or it sounds like something a teacher would use as an example in a fifth grade poetry unit. So, needless to say, I have no talent in the music world.

The bus came to a screeching halt and let me on. I took my seat and mused that not being able to make music was okay. I had other people, like my favorite bands and solo artists, to do the job for me.

I drown out the screams of freshmen and ignore the crumpled piece of paper that is thrown into my seat. I just stare out the window and feel the beat, trying to understand the meaning behind the words.

The bus stops to pick up another girl, who is texting away. She's the last stop and the only open spot is the one right next to me. She plops herself down, turns to the aisle, and begins talking to her friends, obnoxiously chewing gum and "OMG-ing."

I scowl out the window and grind my teeth. I _hate _these kinds of girls- the ones who probably don't give a damn about how they make other people feel as long as they get their Starbucks in the morning. These girls, the ones that gossip in class and make fun of the teacher when they're not looking because they have a limp. The ones who don't pay attention in class because they're too busy on their Instagram and then ask you to explain to them how to solve the problems. The ones that seem to think their superior to everyone else because their pretty or sporty or have family money.

They put other people down to make themselves feel good. They have nothing in their meaningless lives, so they have to drag every other person with substance down into the little abyss of failure with them. They think that their insults fall on deaf ears, that the rest of us drown them out with "sticks and stones…"

They're wrong.

Every single word hurts. Every single mutter of how ugly your hair looks today, you wore sweatpants, or, God forbid, you _raised your hand _in class, is like a searing knife to the heart. It makes you feel like you're not worth anything.

I sigh as the bus pulls into the school drive. I had hoped that life was behind me. But taking a look around this campus, where girls in booty shorts text in mass groups and boys are laughing at stupid YouTube videos in the corner, I know that this school won't be any different. I even see some guy in a black and silver football jersey and long, pale hair shove a nerdy looking kid so he and his buddies can get by.

Looks like today is my first day trying to survive in this new Hell.


	2. Him

Author's Note: Next chapter! I'm really surprised that I was able to come up with this story, its not really my style- last chapter seemed really stereotypical to me, and I really hope the rest of the story doesn't turn out that way. Enjoy!

I fumble with the books in my locker. These things are so tiny- I can't even fit my old backpack into one of them. You know those old movies about high school, where the nerds get shoved into lockers and their clothes stolen…that doesn't happen here.

Here, people's minds are the battleground, and words and whispers of gossip are the weapons. Every little thing you say about someone haunts them.

I shake my head and hurry down the hall to my next class. The bell sounds as soon as I spot the door. Biology.

I enter the classroom, where kids are already seated in alphabetical order, their syllabuses out and highlighting.

The teacher is an older woman with her graying hair pulled back into a tight, shiny bun. She has on one of those old-fashioned dresses that women wore, concealing every part of her body. The turtleneck looks like its choking her. She has on gray stockings and tight, shiny black shoes.

"You're late." She says. Yep, one of those kinds of teachers- the drill sergeants. The kind of teachers that make you sick to your stomach with nervousness enough that you'll need a pass to go to the nurse.

"I'm sorry." I quickly say, and slide into the only vacant seat. The teacher sniffs and pulls out her seating chart, putting on tortoise-shell glasses. "Miss Akiza Izinski?"

I inwardly scowl at the way she says my name- like its bitter and sour all at the same time on her tongue. "Yes, that's me." She looks over her glasses that have now slipped down to the bridge of her nose at me. "You moved here a few weeks ago, before school started?" I nod. "Don't expect any special treatment because you're new. Everyone arrives to my class on time or you get a detention. Is that understood?"

The class answers with a collective "yes" and she snaps, "Raise your hand to talk."

The hour long class drags on with rules and procedures and the passing out of textbooks and the assignment of lab partners.

I may hate this teacher already, but its not going to stop me from trying my best in her class. Biology is my forte, you could say. When my mom failed at getting a degree in it, exhausted with dealing with school, me and my father, she just gave up. I hated seeing her like that, so down and defeated. I decided then, even though I didn't tell her, that I would complete her dream for her. I was going to be her childhood dream, and I'm going to let her know that she's the only reason why I found a cure for cancer, complete the most successful heart transplants, the reason why I became a doctor.

The kid who sits in front of me is my lab partner. He turns around and grins at me from behind thick frames. "I'm Sayer, Akiza. Welcome to the school." His voice is high-pitched and a little squeaky, like he had yet to hit puberty, as he holds out his hand. I take it and shake lightly.

"You have really soft skin," he tells me, "and really pretty hair. Did you dye it?" I shake my head no and reply, "This is my natural color- my mom has the same."

Then he starts asking me a bunch of questions about me, if I like biology, if I want one of the peanut butter cookies his mom made him for lunch. He follows me out of the classroom when the bell rings and waits at my locker while I get my lunch when he finally says- "I'm sorry, but you're really pretty, and I keep getting distracted by your eyes. What color are they?"

I sigh but he doesn't seem to notice, just grins at me with a toothy smile. "They're ember."

"Do you want to sit with me today, Akiza? I usually sit alone but I'll make an exception." He attempts to wink at me but fails miserably. I sigh as I realize I had been dreading this all day- finding a place to sit at lunch. From the bits and pieces of the conversation I had heard from the girls on the bus through my music was that they hoped to get close to some guy's lunch table. I hadn't heard a name- just turned the volume up.

It was pathetic, hoping above all else that some guy will notice you. Some popular guy that was probably so stuck-up he didn't know where the ground was.

I nod at Sayer and let him lead me to the cafeteria. He spots a secluded lunch table and points. As we walk by, I notice a table with the guy in the football jersey I saw out front before. He was sitting at the table with other guys, and a few girls in tight clothing. Everyone is laughing like they're at a party and not under the watchful eyes of teachers.

In the center of the group, I notice a guy and a girl. She was draped all over him, trying to sit in his lap. He said something to her in a low, hushed tone, and it occurred to me that he was trying to "let her down easy."

He was a boy anyone would find hot, I'll give him that. His skin was smooth and tan, his hair thick and glossy. But it was his eyes that were the prime feature- like a bright sapphire sparkling in the evening light.

Sayer appeared next to me and said- "Stay away from them. They're the kind of people who think they're so cool. They think everyone else is stupid and they're perfect."

He sits down heavily on the bench and I slide in across from him. I notice that he's rubbing his knees, which are cut up and bruised.

I think about the football guy, and what he had done that morning. It dawns upon me that it was Sayer that he had pushed- and he had done it so the gorgeous looking guy could get by without having to wait a single minute.

Sayer notices me looking at his knees and he sighs. "Just be careful and don't get on Yusei's bad side, okay? Or you'll end up alone like me."


	3. Into That Dream

Author's Note: Moving right along! Akiza wasn't being mean to Sayer, she just isn't interested... Also, I'd like to point out that all lyrics in this fanfiction are originals. I love writing fanfiction and short stories, but poetry and song lyrics are my thing. Please review!

I finally shake Sayer from following me after lunch, when he says he has gym and sighs. "I'm not a very…physical guy. I'm more into computers and science and the like. Well, have a good rest of your day, Akiza!"

He waves and walks down the hall. I check my schedule. There's only one class that I have after lunch- music. I cringe on the inside- I didn't want to see all these talented people playing guitars and writing like Bach and singing like it was no big deal. I didn't want to take the class- I had to because I had refused to take a music course at my old school. They talked about how I needed an "enrichment" course, and plopped me down in the only available one that fit my schedule.

I find the band room and push the door open. There are kids sitting on the floor strumming what looks like their own guitars, kids fooling around with the wind chimes in the corner, and a few more asking the teacher about how their summer was, like they already knew him.

I find an empty seat in the corner and start doing my biology review homework. _What e the monomers of carbohydrates? _I begin to scratch down "monosaccarides" when the bell's obnoxious ring pierces the air and the teacher claps his hands. "Okay, guys! Everyone please find a seat and…"

I door opens then, and I saw the last person I expected to. Not a single hair out of place, looking no different from the way I saw him earlier, is Yusei Fudo. The guy in a football jersey, the guy that Sayer had told me not to cross, the gorgeous boy that the girls had been talking about on the bus.

"Sorry, Mr. L. Jack tried to get me to hide in the cafeteria for twenty bucks. I was going to do it, but then Mrs. J caught me." He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry if you had already begun teaching. It won't happen again."

The teacher looked at him. He seemed angry at first, and I worried that he was the type of teacher like the biology witch, who can seemingly sniff out a cellphone in a bag on silent instead of turned off. He kept his stern gaze for about three seconds before he broke into a smile and said- "I hope you at least got your twenty!"

Yusei smiled and dug in his pocket and pulled out a rumpled bill. "I wouldn't let Jack forget."

He glided easily over to the seat next to mine. I don't know why he didn't just take the closer empty seat, the one right next to the door. I mused that he simply didn't see it and I looked straight ahead as he sat down.

He didn't say anything, only listened to the teacher talk about everyone's summer and such. Then he started getting into music, talking about the scale and treble clef and that frown-face thing that I always get confused. During this time that he was going on and on, I couldn't help but glance over at Yusei. He really was attractive, with raven black hair and bright blue eyes. He had the perfect touch of softness to his edgy look to make him approachable. He was content and sat straight, but relaxed enough to be comfortable.

I was so busy staring at him that the teacher's voice snapped me back to reality. "Anyone know how much an octave is? Akiza?" My head snapped from the side and I stammered. "Um..uh…"

I noticed Yusei moved next to me. Oh great, it was probably to raise his hand and outdo me, shoe everyone how dumb this new girl really was, not even knowing how much an octave was! What a hilarious joke!

I threw icy daggers of a stare at him, softening only when I realized that he was holding up a number on his fingers. I counted out eight. I said the number without even thinking and the teacher smiled. "Right, now, let's talk about the bass clef…"

I look at him again, and he smiles at me. I debate saying hi to him, maybe Sayer was wrong? I decide against it and shut my mouth. Sayer said not to get on his bad side. Though, from what I've seen, it's like he doesn't even have one.

I've always wondered what decides a popular person from a normal one. Maybe money, talent, looks? He obviously had all three, he can tell he's rich from the latest iPhone in his pocket, his expensive shoes. Talent? The football jersey clearly says it. I hear this school is prestigious about their football team. Looks? He had that in spades.

But there was something else about him, a light that made you feel like you can be yourself around him, that you don't have to build walls to impress him, you could be yourself.

My thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly stood up. He strode to the front of the class. The teacher then said. "Yusei has been working with me on his EP during the summer. I asked him, since we have a class full of seniors, and since you all probably just need the credits, if he could do demonstrations for us instead of classwork."

Some kids, also in football jerseys, whooped their agreement in the back. "Yeah, yeah!" then one shouted- "Just don't choose the music life over us, man!"

Yusei flashed a smile back at them and took the guitar the teacher handed him.

Then he started singing.

"_There was a time when I thought all I could ever want was you_

_But now I've fallen too far into that dream_

_You cannot even hear me scream"_

His voice was so smooth, yet deep at the same time. He didn't sound like a teenage boy, that's for sure. He sounded like an angel.

Yeah. Sayer was wrong. There is no bad side to Yusei Fudo.


	4. I Never Thought I Would

Author's Note: Sorry this is so short. I feel terrible today but still wanted to get this done. Enjoy!

"Hi, Akiza! How was your day!" my mother's soft voice filtered into my buzzing brain. I scramble through thoughts of my day until I'm looking at her, rubbing her hands on a towel and a burnt smile on her lips.

"It was…interesting…" I walk over to the kitchen table where unopened letters littered the table. "Any mail for me?"

"Well, there's a letter from your cousins, Leo and Luna. They're coming up in a few weeks to stay with us while their parents are out of town. They say that they really miss you and can't wait to see the new house!" She beamed with pleasure. She loved Leo and Luna- they were her brother's kids, identical twins. Her brother was the only one who ever really believed that she could make her own decisions, unlike my dad. My dad refused to let her work, and made her do the "wives' work" of taking care of the kids and the home. So, naturally, she loved the fact that her brother and his wife and equal parts in raising the twins.

"So, your day, your first day as a senior in a new high school. Obviously, I want to know _everything." _A big smile bloomed on her face, lighting up her features. I began my tale, talking about how I listened to the girls on the bus, watched the guy push Sayer down, my biology teacher and the events of lunch. Then I get to the pat about Yusei.

"At first glance, I thought he was one of those really snobby rich guys, those football jerks that can't even do simple math." She nodded with her understanding. "There was a boy like that in my school when I was your age."

"Well, he was absolutely freaking gorgeous, I'll give him that. And I realized that he was the guy that the girls on the bus were talking about. And I can understand why they wanted to sit with him so badly." My mom crinkled her eyes. "Huh? I thought you said he was one of those lame football dudes?" I smile a huge smile at her. "I thought he was, but he isn't. I have my last class, music, with him. He comes in late but the teacher is totally cool with it, they actually joked around with each other. And, get this, during class I didn't know the answer to a question, and he showed me the answer! I thought he was just trying to, I don't know, look good for the other girls in the class, but then….he started singing."

My mom's eyebrows went up to her hairline. "Singing?"

I grinned at her. "You wouldn't believe it, mom. It was like angels singing. And the way he looks when he does it..its like he means every word he says. Like when he says "I'm sorry" or "I love you," he means every single syllable of it."

I decide not to tell mom about Sayer's crush on me when I hear the door slam.

Dad walks by without even saying hi.

Across town, a boy with sapphire blue eyes and raven black hair is out of breath from practice, opens the back door into the kitchen.

An older woman, clearly not related to him, smiles from her spot doing work on the dining room table. "Hi, Yusei. How was your day?"

But the boy ignores the question, his mind is racing too fast with only one thought. He pulls up a chair and sits down, leaning his chest against the backing.

"Martha, you would not believe who I met today…"


	5. Reflected in Your Eyes

Author's Note: The idea for this chapter came from a time when I went apple-picking with the co-author of "Don't." Apple picking is such an adorable activity I had to write about it. Please read and review!

I spent the next week trying to get closer to him. I know, I sound like a pathetic little girl with a crush on a boy band pop-idol. But I guess in reality I sound like that because I am. I keep away from him mostly during the day, and yes, I'm still terrified to sit with him at his lunch table. I still sit with Sayer, who doesn't seem to even notice that I'm staring longingly over his shoulder to the table across the cafeteria while he's telling me a story about his backpack getting caught in the seat behind him on the bus _again_. I sit next to Yusei every single day at music, and he doesn't seem to mind. We jumped right into learning so there wasn't really much time to talk. We take a quiz on the last day of the unit and our teacher decides to give us free time for the rest of the class.

I was nervous for this day. I really, _really_ want to talk to him, but…I have no idea what to say. My hands start to shake as he turns to face me in his seat. "So, Akiza, what school did you go to before you came here?" Even when he just speaks words in a simple, small-talk conversation, the sound still slips off his tongue so smoothly, like he was born to sweet talk.

I open my mouth to speak when the loudspeaker clicks and the hazy, scratchy voice of the vice principal filters through the old speakers- "_Attention all members of the senior class. There will be an opportunity to go apple picking this Saturday, for anyone who is interested. The trip is free and all apples will be donated to the local pantry. Please register quickly after school today, as there is a limited number of spots. Thank you."_

The announcement ends and the buzzing hum of chatter starts. Yusei looks at me and says "Want to go? I can head down before practice and register both of us." He smiles at me and waits for me to comprehend the offer.

Was he…asking me out on a _date_?

I stammer a yes right as the bell rings. He jumps up and tells me in a rushed tone- "I have to hurry to get down there so we don't run out of spots. Find me on the bus tomorrow, okay, Akiza?" He waves as he heads out the door and leaves me there trying to comprehend the miracle that I was just given.

I didn't sleep the whole night, formulating so many different possibilities in my head.

When I arrive at the school early in the morning the next day, iPod in hand, Yusei is already there. He's leaning on the side of the bus talking to some other kids. I freeze in my tracks. One of them is the girl from before, the one I saw flirting with him at lunch on the first day. The other is the pale, golden-eyed football player who pushed Sayer down.

Yusei spots me and smiles, and, much to my relief, says goodbye to the other two, who hop on the bus. He walks over to me, taking a sip from his iced coffee. "You ready, Akiza? I already put my stuff down and claimed a spot on the bus for us."

"Aren't you…going to sit with your friends?" I ask him gingerly. The slight look of hurt confusion that crosses his features makes me want to take it back immediately. I'm terrified of messing up around him. Nervousness creeps into my cheeks and I panic, but the look is gone almost as quickly as it came.

"Well, I planned to go with you, didn't I? I'm not just going to abandon you! Come on, they're all waiting for us."

I walked behind him, following him to the very back. His bag was thrown into one of the seats. He grabs it and steps back, beckoning me to sit. I slid in, avoiding eye contact with the other kids. Yusei sat next to me and the bus driver started to leave the parking lot.

He was talking to his friends for about the first minute when he turned to me and said- "Akiza, have you met Kalin and Sherry?" He gestured to the people sitting across from us and I slowly shake my head. I was hoping that if I wasn't going to be able to talk to Yusei one-on-one, I could just listen to my music and stare absent mindedly out the window. I guess Yusei was trying to make me feel welcome and get me to socialize. I could almost hear my mother's voice- "Go ahead and talk to them. Just be yourself- if they can't appreciate who you are as a person, then their approval isn't worth having."

But the problem is that they're _Yusei's _friends, so their approval means everything.

We talked a little about my old school and my family and my classes. I was thankful they didn't ask about my previous friends, because truthfully, I didn't have any. I was lonely but content with that fact.

We pull into the orchard and do the usual school things, waiting, waiting, attendance, more waiting, rules, wait some more, and then we finally get to go picking. Yusei, Sherry, Kalin and I decide to tackle the upper left area.

Before we get there, I notice Kalin pull Yusei aside and say something to him with a smile. He smiles back and mouths something that looks like "I know."

We find a fairly large tree with two latters that we decide to hit first. I start climbing the first latter and Yusei asks Sherry if she'll hold it for me. She grips the latter until her knuckles turn white. I blush at both of their gestures. Maybe…popular kids aren't so bad after all?

The point is really hit home with what happens next. I wasn't paying attention and I slip. I should have been paying attention. I should have been watching where I was going. I shouldn't have missed the fact that one of the rungs of the latter was broken.

I start to slip though the latter, the beginning of a scream rising in my throat, when I never hit the ground. I crack my eyes open, which I don't think I meant to close, to find Yusei holding on to my wrist. He starts to walk down the other latter that Kalin in holding steady. Luckily it was close enough to the other latter that he saw it coming a second before it happened.

He sets my feet down on the ground when Sherry starts gushing apology. "OMG, I'm so, so sorry, are you alright? I should have held it tighter, this is my fault…" The funny thing is, if it had been yesterday, I would have felt triumphant that a popular kid felt beneath me, but today it just made me feel like the one beneath her, because the truth is, I wouldn't even have tried to fake caring. The way that she looked at me was so genuine, it broke something in me.

"It's okay, Sherry, its not your fault." I look up at the broken latter and point. Understanding crosses her features.

Behind me I hear Yusei's voice- "We should probably tell someone that the latter is broken so it doesn't happen to anyone else."

Kalin grabs Sherry by the wrist and volunteers, and Sherry follows him without complaint, leaving me by myself with Yusei.

"I can hold the latter for you if you want to get some apples from the other side?" he says to me, and I nod, grabbing the bad we were filling. I climb the latter and he holds it steady while I drop apple after apple into the bag. I attempt to make small talk- "There sure are a lot of apples this year."

"Have you been here before, Akiza?" I shake my head.

"I always try to keep up to date on plants and animals and such. I'm big into biology." I start to tell him, and then I find that I couldn't stop, he was just…so easy to talk to. I told him all about me. My past at my old school, how I had no friends, and finally…the way I felt about him. That day, when he sang, the way I felt…

He smiled. That beautiful smile that gets me every time. "Akiza, how would you like to be together?"

Next Monday, in music class, he had a new song-

_Hearts pound,_

_What is found?_

_Not a sin,_

_To let someone in,_

_Reflected eyes,_

_They can see inside. _


	6. Save Me

Author's Note: Not much to say for this one, just that it taps into the different social hierarchies of high school...and damn how I wish we could break it down to the point where everyone feel like they have the power to speak their mind.

I was nervous. More nervous than I ever have been before. More nervous than I was when I took the biology final last year, than before the kindergarten play, and even more nervous than I was the first time I had to talk to Yusei. The bell rang and I jumped giddily out of my seat in biology.

I ignored Sayer at my locker, brushing him off with a fake smile and "Someone else asked me to sit with them." He would have seethed with rage if he could have. I heard him mutter something under his breath about "stealing my girl," but I ignored him. I wasn't his girl anyway.

I don't know why he ever thought I was. I never flirted with him. Hell, I barely talked to him. I mostly just half listened to his ramblings about the stupidest things. So I wasn't really ditching him, right?

My heart picked up the pace when I saw the lunch table. It was crowded as always, but right next to Yusei…my _boyfriend_, was an open seat. Well, technically, he was sitting so that his leg was stretched out and physically saving the seat for me, in between him and Sherry.

I walked over with slightly shaking legs. I felt my face heat up when Jack met my eyes, before Yusei noticed I was there. I stood over him for a few seconds, then he looked up and smiled at me. "Hey." He moved his leg and took my hand to gently pull me down next to him. "Guys, this is Akiza. The girl I was telling you about."

Kalin looked at Yusei with a really odd expression, which Yusei smiled at and brushed off. Crow and Jack met my gaze and nodded. While Crow's was a polite nod, Jack seemed…threatening. Like an ominous aura seeped from him, tainting the air with tension so thick you could cut it with one of those plastic knives.

I gulped, hoping it wasn't audible. I really wanted all of Yusei's friends to accept me, to like me. What didn't he like? My clothes, my shoes, my hair…? Was it something I had said earlier? Something I did? Something I didn't do?

While I was having this second long internal battle with the questions in my head, he had already turned away from and continued talking to Crow about last night's practice.

Sherry spoke up, "Hey, Akiza. You didn't hurt yourself from that fall a few days ago, did you?" I shook my head and obvious relief overcame her features. "Oh, thank God, I would have had to be your servant for, like, a week to try to make it up to you." I cracked a smile at this. Not at the idea of Sherry waiting on my every demand, but the fact that she actually…cared.

The chatter buzzed around the table. I didn't say much, only silently listened with real interest. I think I finally understand why popular kids are, well…popular. They're interesting and funny, and from what I heard at the lunch table that day, the only people they seemed to make fun of was themselves.

I became keenly aware of Yusei's presence next to me the whole time. My thigh was pressed against his in the tight fit of the seats, and he just seemed to generate this warmth that I was drawn to. His laugh was quiet yet profound, making me light up with joy to know that he was happy with me being there.

That, and the way that his hand slowly found mine under the table.

Walking back was not easy for me emotionally when the bell rang. I stood up reluctantly, mumbling a goodbye that was probably not heard. I said goodbye to Yusei, hugging him around the waist quickly, telling him that I had to get to my next class.

I dashed out of the cafeteria, unknowingly taking the same stairway as Jack, Crow and Sayer. Their footsteps were loud in the nearly empty room, but not as loud as the small cries of pain. Drawn to it like a moth to flame, I ran pup on instinct, to catch the end of Jack carelessly throwing Sayer's backpack over the railing, nearly hitting me.

Sayer was smooshed against the wall, pinned down by Crow's arm. Crow wasn't smiling, but Jack was taking sick delight in making Sayer's life miserable. I don't think they hurt him physically, just mentally scared him. They made him think that they were going to hurt him, and that there was nothing he could do about it.

I saw that Jack enjoys hurting other people. He uses it like a weapon- the fact that he has no problem getting his hands dirty doing the stereotypical job of a high school football player poison the minds of anyone that dares cross him and his crew.

I was scared. I booked out of the stairwell as fast as I could, but I didn't miss Yusei sighing behind me and gathering up Sayer's things to take back to him.

I saw Yusei again in music class. He looked tired, not physically tired but emotionally tired. "Hey." He said as I took my seat next to him. He smiled at me and pecked my cheek, leaving it burning.

I was going to open my mouth to ask him what was bothering him, but I thought better of it. I knew what it was, anyway. I don't know why Yusei didn't just put a stop to the bullying that Jack did and Crow mindlessly helped with, certainly they would listen to him.

I pondered all the reasons through the class. I never thought I would, but I got the answer.

His melodic voice hit something deep in my soul once again-

_I can hear you crying "save me,"_

_But I cannot move,_

_I'm too afraid of the penalty,_

_I'm too afraid to lose. _


	7. Walls of Grey

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! Homecoming week brings on a social life... I'd like to think I'm pretty good about updating, so hopefully it won't be as long next time. I was actually watching the "Duel of the Dragons" episodes today to help me get writing. (inspiration to get up and write about something, not plot- I already have the entire story planned out) It got me thinking- I actually don't ship Yusei x Akiza because I feel that if they were meant to be together, they would have. However, I do ship it one-sided- Akiza loving Yusei romantically. And after everything he did for her, who could blame her? But I have a boatload of ideas for this ship, so as my gift to the faithshippers, I am going to make them a reality. Hope you all enjoy!

"Yusei, can I ask you a serious question?" my voice was uncharacteristically soft, as it was usually rather hard and right-to-the-point.

Our hands were interlocked as he walked me to his car. The parking lot was nearly vacant so I decided it was a good time to bring up the question that had been lingering over my head for a while now. He opened the passenger's side door for me and I scooted in.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?" He walked around the front of the car while I shut the door. He slid in next to me and found his keys before I asked him. "Why doesn't Jack like me?"

His laugh wasn't insulting, but it still made me uneasy. "Jack doesn't like anyone." He smiled, but I could tell that the question got to him.

"Yusei, really. Why?" he sighed, not because he was annoyed, but because he was anticipating a long, long story.

"I don't know, Akiza. Jack's a really complicated guy. It's hard to get on his good side, but very, very easy to get on his bad." He looked out the window while the engine whirred to life. "But once you get past the outer shell, the molding he tries to protect him image with, you see the great guy that he really is."

We didn't talk for the rest of the ride. I looked out the window and watched the blurry landscape whip by. Yusei's presence was still warm in the car, but I knew it would be best to drop the conversation. When we pulled into my driveway, he took the key out of the ignition and sat back with a sigh. I had to ask. "Yusei, is there anything I can do to make him like me more? He doesn't have to _love _me, but…something to get him to stop looking at me with such…disgust."

Yusei's laugh was hollow, but not empty because of me. "I don't know, Akiza, just be yourself I guess." I must have visibly pouted, my eyes saying _That never works!_, because he thought for a moment and then said- "Have you ever heard the expression, 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?'"

I cracked a smile at that. "Doesn't that only work with your boyfriend?"

"Of course it works with your boyfriend, but it works for his friends, too."

He opened the door for me, like he was going to walk me to the door. I paused, hovering on the front step. He was waiting to see if I would hug him, kiss him, or just leave with a cheery goodbye. I thought for a moment.

"Yusei, can you help me? I'm not…that great at making cookies."

His laugh was real this time. "Isn't that something all girls are fabulous at?"

I smiled. "Apparently, not me."

"So I guess I should just smile nod while I choke, then?"

I playfully tapped my knuckles on his shoulder and he held the door for me as I led him by the hand inside. We dropped our stuff down in front of the staircase, and I led him into the kitchen.

I almost stopped dead when I saw my two cousins sitting at the table, the oven already being used, with my mom baking cookies for the twins.

"Akiza!" Luna jumped up and hugged me, while Leo just sat at the table, munching on a cookie. He never really was big in to having a girl role model the way Luna was- my mom secretly hoped that that would change as he got older. "I was waiting for you to come home from school!"

"Oh, who's this?" Yusei came up behind me, bringing him to my mom's attention. My eyes flashed at her with benevolence. "Mom, this is Yusei Fudo. My boyfriend."

He smiled at her, and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Izinski. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" He gestured to the table, where Leo was still sitting. He stared at Yusei like he was a comic book hero or a rock star. Who could blame him? He was all lean muscle, polite, and had that voice like soothing honey.

The table was littered with the remains of baking supplies- empty boxes of mix, dirty bowls and whisks, egg shells and milk splatters. "Look like you guys beat us to it, mom."

"No, Yusei, don't worry, you're not interrupting anything." She smiled at him and took his hand. "And yes, Akiza, your cousins decided today was a fine day to bake. And I must say I'm impressed! Both of them could be master chefs one day."

Leo and Luna smiled up at her and Luna tugged on my sleeve. "Do you want to have some?" I smiled down at her, then flashed a grin to Yusei. "Actually, could I take some to school tomorrow, you two? I'm sure my friends would like to taste your talent."

Luna's face broke into a grin. "Yeah, sure! Just make sure you tell them it was us though!" I swooped down and pulled her into a hug. "I wouldn't dream of leaving the two of you out!"

Leo came over and hugged me, as mom told them to leave Yusei and me alone until we finished our homework. He lingered at the doorway for a moment before he threw his arms around Yusei's waist. "It was nice to meet you, Akiza's boyfriend." Then he followed his sister out of the room.

A few hours passed out talk about our classes, helping each other with some problems, and even stealing a few cookies before a conversation that I associate with being together happened.

People who are together aren't supposed to hide their feelings. They're supposed to be able to communicate and tell each other how they feel without worrying that the other is going to turn their back on them. So many people think that its not the case- I've listened to other girls conversations, I've read the articles in teenage magazines- but you shouldn't hide the way you feel, especially from someone you care about. I guess that is what Yusei thinks, too, because he eventually says- "Akiza, I believe it is my turn to ask you a serious question."

I inwardly snicker at the way he pokes fun at me. "What's up? Just be warned, if it's the family recipe for cinnamon cookies, I'm not telling."

He gives a small laugh, then takes a more serious expression. He looks me in the eyes for a moment, and he holds them with a gaze that makes me think he can see my soul. "Why do you always wear so much makeup?"

I wasn't really expecting this question, but I wasn't going to leave him hanging. Hell, he probably wasn't expecting there to be such a poetic reason behind it.

"I wear it like it's a mask. When I have on makeup, it makes me feel like the whole wide world can't see the face, the person, or the thoughts underneath. That I can continue to pretend like I don't care, that I don't think, that I don't feel. Its my version of plastering on a smile every single day."

He cocks his head slightly. "Akiza, you shouldn't have to feel like you have to hide who you are from the world. The real you, and I can tell, is a great person. I saw the way you were with your mom and your cousins- you seemed to light up, like you really love them. And seeing that made _me_ so happy. It would make anyone happy. It reminded me of why I'm your boyfriend in the first place."

I sit in silence for a moment, trying to drink in his words. _I don't have to…pretend to be someone I'm not? _Suddenly he got up, checking the time on his phone. "Sorry, I'm expected to be at practice in about twenty minutes. Sorry to bounce so suddenly, but I wanted to ask you before I left."

When he kissed my forehead goodbye, I swear I could feel it tingling until I went to bed.

It was music class the next day when I knew why he had asked me that- he really did care about me, and his lyrics really prove that-

_Standing alone in the hallway_

_Slate walls of gray_

_Lying on the floor_

_Can't take it anymore_

I was still in the ecstasy of knowing he was writing songs about me when I bumped into someone on my way to his car. It was Jack, holding on to the remains of one of the cookies I had brought the table for lunch.

I stammered an apology and then tried to leave, but he held me back. For a moment I was afraid he was going to hurt me, bully me like he had with Sayer.

"Thanks for the cookies, Akiza, we appreciate it."

I blinked. He was…thanking me? I must have displayed my confusion, because he sighed.

"Look, I know we got off on a rough start, but I don't mean any harm. I'm just…pretty protective of Yusei, you could say. A few years back, I was the nerdy kid that thought he was so cool. I was bullied myself up until the point that I met Yusei while trying out for football camp. He brought me into the light and showed me that to make people like you, you have to like other people. So… it bothers me a little to see someone getting close with him. But I'm over it now- it honestly feels like you guys were meant to be or something."

I was shocked. Jack Atlas, the football team's star running back, vice president of the student council, best friend of Yusei Fudo…was bullied?

"Why don't you head to my party with Yusei tomorrow night? It'll be fun, I promise."


	8. A Red Rose Blooms

Author's Note: I'M SUPER PROUD OF THIS CHAPTER YOU GUYS, LIKE YEEES, WHOOPIE, GOLD STAR OF THE DAY. I like it because cough*itsthelongestsofar*cough it touches so many different aspects of struggles in the everyday lives of people. By the way, the bit on how to ride on the back of a motorcycle is true…at least from my personal experience. Please read and review!

At 6:47 the next night, I stood in front of the mirror. I had on a nice dress and cute shoes, with part of my hair pinned up. I eyes the concealer and mascara sitting in a basket on the counter. I glanced up at my reflection. It would seem so odd to me not to schedule time to put it on, the crucial five minutes of my daily ritual. It was like putting on war paint before heading into battle.

My eyes popped even without the eye makeup. They were as bright as the sun, like the passion burning in my heart. I rubbed my eyes, ran a hand through my hair, and decided against painting my face, putting on my mask.

What Yusei said a couple days ago still rung in my ears, was what I thought about before I went to sleep. _You don't have to hide who you are_. I cocked my head, deep in thought. I guess I had been hiding. I guess that, even though I didn't want to admit it, I wanted people to like me, and I sought their approval. I wore makeup all the time and distanced myself from my classmates because I was afraid they wouldn't like the person they saw underneath it all, who I really was.

_You don't have to hide who you are._

I never will, ever again.

I took the whole basket and threw it in the trash.

7:00 rolled around when I heard a knock at the door. I beat my cousins there before they could open it. Yusei was in a leather jacket, holding…two…helmets. He was beaming at me while I stared at the helmets in his hands. Mom was not going to be happy about _this_.

"From the look of pure horror on your face, I guess you've realized what our chariot is for the evening."

I swallowed stiffly and stammered out- "M-my mom…" before he cut me off with a smile.

"Has already agreed. I asked her about it while you were out getting your hair done. Did you know that Leo wants a motorcycle now, too?"

"So you're telling me you created the monster that's been talking all afternoon about how he's going to be the leader of the 'only nice motorcycle gang in the world?' His mom would never allow it."

He laughed. "Yeah, Martha wasn't too pleased about it either, but I've wanted one since I was a kid."

"Akiza?"

My mom rounded the corner then, smiling when she saw Yusei. "Did she freak out when she saw the bike?"

"I thought she was going to start crying at the sight of the helmets!"

My mother laughed and Yusei put an arm around my shoulders. "Ready to go?"

I nod and my mother calls out after us as we're leaving- "Have fun!"

Parked in the driveway was a red Harley, with one of those seats in the back, clearly meant for two people. Yusei hands me the helmet as we walk through the wet grass towards is. "Hope you like red."

I pause at the side, unsure of how to sit wearing a dress. Yusei notices my unease. "Don't worry about that. I'll be sitting in front of you so no one will see anything."

I put the helmet on and he adjusts it for me. He sits down and I follow suit, glad that I'm wearing boots. I wrap my arms around his waist and put my feet on the exhaust pipes.

"Okay, so when you're on the back of a bike, the only thing you have to do is move with it- don't try to fight the tilting. That, and hold on and enjoy the ride!"

He paused, thinking, as the engine purred to life, and I was overwhelmed with the feeling that tonight was going to be one of the best nights of my life.

"Its kind of like life that way."

We pull out of the driveway and I grip onto him tighter as we pick up speed, flying down the street. As I watch the trees and cars blur together like watercolors, I became aware of a nagging thought in the back of my mind. I searched the previous conversation for something that was bothering me, a question that hadn't been answered.

_Yeah, Martha wasn't too pleased about it either…_

"Yusei?"

"Hmm?" he hummed as we pulled up to a stoplight in the nearly vacant street, a few cars parked on the street and someone walking their dog.

"Who is Martha? You mentioned that name earlier…"

"Oh! You mean… I didn't tell you?"

I shook my head, then realizing he couldn't see it, "No, who is she?"

"She's my…mom, I guess. She adopted me when I was five."

The words hit me hard, harder than the bite of the colder fall air. He never told me…?

"You mean…you're adopted? You…didn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Akiza. I guess the right time to bring it up never came around. Its not a secret I meant to keep from you. Its just apart of me, something almost everyone in our class seems to know already."

He sniffed, then continued. "She's a wealthy judge in the town- probably the wealthiest person. Her husband died when he was very young, and she never remarried, but…she didn't want to be alone. So she went to the orphanage a few towns over and adopted me."

We pulled up to a house that seemed alight with festivities, which I assumed was Jack's house. "I'm sorry if I brought up some…painful memories, Yusei." I look over at him. I thought he would be on the verge of tears or something, because I know I would have been.

But he was alight with the air of someone heading to a party, who just bought a motorcycle, someone who knew that their girlfriend had their back through thick and thin. "Not at all- its not something that bothers me. Its simply the truth, and even though it sometimes hurts that my parents didn't want me, or died, or had to leave me for whatever reason, it reminds me that I can take anything life has to throw at me."

He took my hand and led me to the front door. He knocked lightly before walking in, where some girl in the front entryway scuttled away from the door. "Sorry, Carly. Have you met Akiza?" I walked up behind him, taking in the girl. She had dark hair and even darker eyes that seemed mesmerizing and hypnotic.

"Oh, you mean your _giiirlfrieeend_?" she jokingly poked Yusei in the stomach, grinning, before addressing me. "Nice to _really _meet you, Akiza, we have history together, right?" I recall the first period history class that I usually fall asleep in, and remember the girl who seemed to know the answer to every question that sat in the front row. I nod and she grins.

"We should hang out sometime! I hear that the teacher is going to be assigning a partner project soon…" She winks, pointing her thumb at Yusei, "So we can be partners and I'll have an excuse to steal some time away from your boyfriend for awhile."

It was then that Sherry came up behind her, waved at Yusei and I, and pulled Carly aside to help her fix her hair. He led me deeper into the house, where the living room and kitchen was already crowded with people. Most of them are in football jerseys or cheerleading uniforms, and I suddenly feel out of place, but then I realize that Yusei, Jack, Sherry, Carly and Crow are all out of their uniforms. (I swear Kalin never takes his off, so he doesn't count) It occurs to me that they didn't wear their uniforms because they didn't want me to feel intimidated by them…

I caught some of the chatter, girls talking about how much they hate the cheer couch, college, and I even see one girl point at me, then whisper "cute dress" to her friend. I felt this light feeling, sort of like pride, but more being pleased with the world than yourself, swell up inside me. As I looked around the room, the bubble got bigger and bigger, until something popped it.

A guy I've never seen before, but in a jersey, spots Yusei and calls out- "Hey, man! Where's the booze!"

My heart drops into my stomach and I freeze like a deer in the headlight, waiting for Yusei's reaction. I see him open his mouth to say something, and a smile on his face. Like he was going to say he smuggled some from Martha, all proud of himself. _Was Yusei really one of those types of kids?_

I'm suddenly grabbing his hand and pulling him back, away from the kitchen. I lead him to the front door and whirl around to face him. He has a startled look on his face, but he doesn't say anything until I give him my reasoning.

"Yusei, please, please don't get drunk or something. Don't let anybody get drunk. Its just a bad situation to be in and I don't want anyone to have to deal with the stupid choices of some teenagers if someone is stupid enough to get behind the wheel."

Yusei takes a deep breath before he smiles. "You know what? You're right. Totally, absolutely right." He then turns around and walks to the kitchen with me in tow. "Yo, Parker!" The kid who had asked him to get booze before turned around. "I think that we can have as much fun without it, don't you think?"

A hushed silence falls over the party as they contemplate Yusei's words. I begin to fidget with the hem of my dress. What if they were all expecting to have a party where everyone was drunk out of their minds, and realized it was me who shut down their plans?

To my relief, Jack speaks up. "Yeah, man. I think… alcohol should be banned. Remember the last time we got shitfaced? Not a fun day, I'll tell you all that. No more."

A murmur runs through the crowd, then a few people start nodding in agreement, a collective decision. I must have beamed with pride as Jack walked over to us, did that weird handshake/ hug thing guys do with Yusei, and then looked at me. "You look beautiful, Akiza. Way better than I've ever seen you, actually. Not that you don't look good all the time! Ah…"

I giggle. "Thanks, Jack." A song comes on that I know, which hardly ever happens at social events. "I love this song!"

Jack grins at me. "Really? I love it too! Yo, Carly! Let's dance!" She runs over to him, jumps into his arms and they start dancing. I turn to Yusei, and he smiled.

When we embraced, we didn't let go the whole night.

When 1:00 in the morning came around, Yusei and I say our goodbyes. The house wasn't trashed so I don't feel bad about leaving Jack alone to clean up. Yusei asked him about it and he laughed. "I'm going to bed, man. The mess isn't going to go anywhere."

I was almost falling asleep on the back of Yusei's bike, with my head against his back. Time seems to have slipped away when I realize we've pulled into my driveway and he nudges me to hop off. I sleepily look up and he takes my hand and helps me off.

He smiles. "Tired?"

I nod. "But its worth it."

We climb the steps and I can't help but think about my relationship with Yusei. He must be exhausted, but he still helps me the way a true gentleman would…and he listened to me….and he loves me…

The next thing I know I'm falling into his arms, my lips meeting his.

He seems a little started at first, like he wasn't expecting it, but then I feel him smile and he relaxes into the kiss. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me into him, his hands eventually finding and stroking my hair.

Eventually our lips stop caressing one another and I let my head fall into him, and he just holds me. I can feel the thumping of his heart and I feel so…safe. Like he would protect me from anything.

When the rain began to fall on our heads, he started to sing for me-

_Sometimes I wonder_

_About the meaning of black_

_If it means to go forward_

_Or if it means to fall back_

_If it needs to be worn like a mask_

_I came across the conclusion today_

_After remembering what you said_

_That you had to hide your face_

_Hide the thoughts swimming in your head_

_No, honey- roses were meant to be red _

He held me for a few more minutes, then whispered that Martha needed him back. I sleepily nod and he opens the door for me, leading me by the hand to my mom, where she smiles and whispers a thank you.

He leaves and I go upstairs to go to bed. As I'm climbing the stairs I wish with all my heart that I could write something for him. His words for me are so beautiful… I wish I could return it in some way.

I went to bed with the comfort of one thought.

There are no words to describe how beautiful his soul is.


	9. Perfect

Author's Note: So...yeah. I'll try not to let an update wait this long again. On the bright side, the story is coming close to its climax! Please stay tuned, and I thank everyone for their continued support!

I almost shuddered with the thought of sitting at our lunch table without Yusei. Yet, I was able to restrain myself from running away as I sat down, no one in the seat to my right.

I hadn't seen him come in this morning, with his usual bright and sunny demeanor to start everyone's day off right. He didn't drive me to school to get a coffee, or been there to give me a good morning kiss.

It was slightly nerve-racking, not knowing where he was. I assumed he may have been out on a college tour- he was obsessed with getting his future, and the rest of his life, started.

I brushed it off, satisfied with this conclusion. I stayed silent all lunch, lost in my own thoughts, to realize that there wasn't that much talk that day anyway.

His house wasn't that far from the school, so I decided to walk to his house.

"I'm gonna head down there to see why he wasn't in school today." Jack nodded and asked- "Do you think he just went to a college tour or something?"

"Yeah, probably."

_Right?_

The walk to Yusei's took about ten minutes, and I left as soon as the last bell sounded.

Two cars sat in the driveway, and one of them was his. I assumed the other one was his adoptive mother's car.

The house was beautiful. It was an old, large building, like a mansion from the 1920s. It was made of red brick and has ivy climbing up the walls. The garden and lawn were well-kept, and I didn't see a single blade of grass peeking up through the walkway. I wondered if Martha tended to the property herself, or if she had hired a landscaper to do it. The sturdy steps made no noise underneath me as I rang the doorbell.

When no one answered after ten minutes of waiting, I mustered the courage to try to open the door. It was unlocked, which made me wonder as to why they didn't come to open it. The inside of the house was as beautiful as the outside, if not more. A large, winding grand staircase led upstairs, and past it was a bright and open living area that reached the sparkling French doors that granted access to the yard.

I heard faint protesting and some rustling from upstairs. I recognized Yusei's voice, along with an obviously older woman's. As I climbed the stairs to them, I realized that it must have been Martha. More protests came from the room on my right. I knocked on this door, startling the people inside. They were hesitant to open it, so I called out. "Yusei?"

I heard a faint "Akiza?" before the door swung open. I was surprised it wasn't Yusei, but a regal-looking woman, with a permanent, serious look in her eyes, but her gaze was clouded with an unknown emotion. "Akiza!"

I heard my name again and Martha stepped back to let me into the room. The walls were white but not bare- they were scrawled on with bits and pieces for lyrics, music scales and notes. Pot lighting illuminates the glossy walls and hardwood floors. Music instruments and devices for recording were tucked away in the corner. Underneath the windows was a bed with white sheets, being gripped tightly.

Yusei swung his legs over the side, but his movements were sluggish and clumsy. Martha scowled at him, and he pouted, or at least he came as close to pouting as he could. "Come on, at least let me hug my girlfriend."

Martha started walking towards him. "You're not getting too close to _anyone _right now, do you hear me?" She reached the bed and pushed him down lightly before pulling up the covers. He had this look of pure annoyance on his face, and I shifted my feet awkwardly.

She must have glared at his annoyance, because he began to protest about being put to bed in the middle of the day again- "Come on, it's only…"

"One-oh-three!" she snapped at him. I glanced over at the clock. 2:15. She wasn't talking about the time…

He looked away, almost like he was blushing, a light crimson o his cheeks. He shivered a little, and I started to put two in two together…

"It's just a little cold, that's all!"

I mentally face palmed myself. I remembered vaguely that it started pouring as soon as I got to my room last night, and Yusei had driven home on the bike.

I guess it's a good thing he didn't get killed on that thing, but…really? How stereotypical.

Martha must have noticed my sigh. "See? Even she thinks you should _stay put_. Do I have to tie you to the bed before I leave?"

He made a face at her and I sighed again. "Is this because of last night?"

He looked away, now fully realizing I was there. "Um…maybe?"

I realized that he didn't want to admit it was the reason why he got sick, that…driving me home was the reason he got sick.

How did I ever deserve someone so…considerate?

I guess I had an expression on my face like I wanted to slap him, because he backed away slightly. But I just laughed and turned to Martha. "You have work, right? I can stay with him; make sure he doesn't leave the house."

She seemed weary at first, but eventually agreed on checking the time again.

I guess it was my turn to show him how much I cared about him.

So I sat next to him while he slept, occasionally changing the damp cloth on his forehead. I wondered if that ever really actually helps. If your entire body is burning up, how is relief in only one spot supposed to help?

I started to read some of the fragments of poetry on his walls. It was hard to do with the lights off and the sun fading outside, but I realized the one I was reading was titled "Colored Roses"- the one he wrote for me.

He stirred under my touch and his eyes slowly opened. He smiled up at me. "Hey."

I smiled back at him and pushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear. As my fingers grazed his skin, he shivered, and I realized just how hot his skin was. I put an icy hand on his flushed cheek, feeling the radiating heat off of him.

I had been afraid to feel his skin before; afraid he would find it too intimate, even though we've already kissed. I was worried he was going to give me a weird look, but he leaned into my hand, as if trying to absorb the coolness from it.

At first I panicked, my heart nearly stopping with fear. He didn't notice my reaction, pressing his cheek against my hand and humming softly. My fingers twitched with anxiety and I bit my lip, his overly warm skin providing no comfort.

The first thing I realized was that this was beyond my control and that I should call Martha and get Yusei help. He was lightly sleeping and not open to protest. I found her number in his phone and texted her, weary that she was doing something very important- _hello, this is akiza. I need ur help. Fever got worse. _She never responded, but I sat with him for the next ten minutes before I heard a car door slam outside.

The second thing I realized was that I shouldn't have reacted that way. I wanted to be a doctor, didn't I? This shouldn't have been so scary, so heartbreaking. But I guess it's different when it's someone you care so much about, someone…someone you love.

I didn't even realize he was softly singing in delirium until the previous thought faded away-

_Can I even do this?_

_I wanted a perfect life,_

_But every day I feel like shit,_

_Every day there's something I seemed to have missed,_

_But then she came along and made everything perfect._

I stared dumbfounded at him, not even comprehending what the words could mean, when the door to his bedroom flew open. Martha stood there, hair limply thrown up and her clothes in slight disarray.

She bolted over to him and I was lost in the flurry of so many thoughts, so many feelings and worries, I didn't even realize what was happening.

"You should leave." Martha hadn't even turned from him, an eerie fake calm in her voice.

I nodded dumbly, feeling like a passenger in my own body, not even knowing why I agreed to leave in the first place.


	10. Stop and Smell the Roses

"Crow came in with an old gas mask and avoided me like I had the plague."

Yusei rolled his eyes as we walked into school a few days later. I haven't seen him since I met Martha, but he had texted me the next afternoon that he was okay. Martha had nearly strangled him with her hugging when his fever broke, and continued to make him stay in bed for the next two days.

I could tell that he was annoyed that he had missed school. It wasn't so much because he didn't like make-up work, (which is totally understandable, I mean you were just sick enough to be out of school, and then they think you can write an essay in two days?) but because he wasn't here for the people he cared about, he wasn't here to make everyone's day better, and I think was bothered him the most was the thought that maybe, just _maybe_, he had caused someone to worry about him.

It was a frustration that wasn't visible in his smile, but I could feel if dripping off of him, like I had known him all my life. Honestly, it feels like I have known him forever.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but…. I must tell you. I must get it out." He turned from his locker to look at me, with an expression that I couldn't quite place. "You really scared me."

He sighed and his expression changed to one I knew well- remorse. "I'm sorry, I really, really am." He hugged me then, right then and there. He didn't even seem to care that the girls eavesdropping on us turned away in sadness. "I swear I didn't mean to." He kissed my forehead and I melted.

"Of course I forgive you, I just want you know that… I really do care about you, and because of that, you have to be really careful."

He smiled his irresistible smile. "Okay, _mom_."

He tugged on my hand to lead us to our friends, but my mind stayed in front of his locker, replaying the feeling he gave me all day.

It made me feel lighter, like I was walking on a bridge made of light. I kept smiling all day, participated in every conversation, and even danced around an empty hallway.

"What's with the ear-to-ear smile?" Yusei teased me on our way to my house that afternoon, my own expression mirrored on his.

"I just feel…happy. Powerful. Like I can do anything." I swung the hand he was holding back and forth, our footsteps beginning to walk to an unheard rhythm.

I turned suddenly to face him, resulting in a surprising kiss. Our lips held for a moment, then pressed together more firmly. We stood there, in the parking lot, for a few moments. I could see myself in him. Literally, with my reflection in his eyes, but also figuratively, in the way that I could see the person I had become in him.

"I'll race ya to the car."

I took off before he realized I said it, and with him laughing behind me, the rush of the sun spiraling towards me, and the feeling that this love will never die made me feel like I had finally found my place in the world.

When we got home, the reality that school is still a part of my life hit me. The biology work the drill instructor had given me was taunting me from my backpack. It was a project that she wanted us to do in partners. Sayer had turned around almost immediately, his mouth in an open grin already on his face. But then other people asked me, and despite his obvious attempts to get my attention, I had ignored him, and opted to work with one of Sherry's friends instead.

Yusei saw what I was doing and pulled up a chair beside me. "I knew you wanted to be a doctor, but this is insane." He laughed and picked up one of the papers scribbled with notes. "I'm an honors student, and I could never do this."

"Well, I have a lot of motivation." I sighed at the amount of work I had ahead of me. "My mom wanted to be a doctor. She started schooling as soon as she married my dad. She really wanted to do it, but life with me and my dad's job got in the way. She didn't have the time anymore to go to school and take care of a family, so she just gave up. So I decided at a very young age that I was going to live her dream instead."

He was quiet for a while then, the silence comfortable between us, when the full extent of what happened a few days ago rung like a church bell in my mind. I was so overcome and dumbfounded at the moment that I didn't have time to process exactly what the meaning to the words he sang to me might be.

I knew then that I had to ask him, and with any walls that could have been between in ruins at our feet, I did.

He looked at me with a blank expression as I recited what he had sung to me, hoping none of the lyrics were wrong. He got this faraway look in his eyes as he was remembering what the words meant to him. He found it after a short minute. "Akiza, I am really sorry that I had told you that. It must have caused you to wonder about it for a really long time, huh?"

I looked at him for a moment, then told him the truth. "To be honest, not really. I haven't been thinking about it all that much, because I didn't really understand what they _could _mean until right now. It was sitting somewhere in the back of mind, and decided to make itself known right now."

"Well, then I guess I should tell you, then. It's about a never ending struggle with the desire to be perfect. The perfect friend, the perfect son, the perfect student, the perfect partner. Perfection is the only thing I strive to have, but it's not for me, really. I do it because I want to give the people in the world my very, very best, even if that best isn't really mine, even if it means I don't really get to be me."

It was my turn to be silent then, just staring at my work. I didn't mind, really. It gave me time to think about what he had told me, and I appreciated the warmth of his company no matter where we are. I thought about how he _did _seem perfect, and I was able to see him at a time of rare weakness.

I was lucky to have someone like him at my side, someone who puts on a smile for anyone and everyone he meets. Despite what he may think, that he has to strive to be perfect, he already is by just wanting to make the world a better place. I was going to tell him that, but… I realized he will find out one day on his own.

I went through the research I had planned on doing for that day before I sat back. He smiled at me and I opened my mouth to ask him if he wanted to order a pizza when the door burst open.

My dad flew in, a clear expression of rage in his eyes as he pointed out the open door. Yusei sat up, not with a threatening expression but not one that seemed overly pressing, like he was just going to wait for my dad to come to him. I wish he had just left right then, or I had known my dad was coming home, because he brought his arm down and breathed heavily. He tried to burn a hole in Yusei with his gaze as he sneered: "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house with my daughter?"

"Dad!" was shock was evident in my voice, because he turned his eyes from Yusei to look at me. "Who the hell is this guy, Akiza?" his voice had a razor-sharp edge to it. I winced slightly, hurt by his tone. Yusei noticed my reaction and stood up.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something by being here?" he tone was polite, like he was trying to be diplomatic despite my dad's reaction. My dad kept his eyes on me, rage seething off of him. His eyebrows twitched with anger. "Who the hell is he, Akiza? What have you two been doing?"

"He's my boyfriend, dad, and we came here after scho-"

"Your _boyfriend_? Akiza, did I ever say you could have a boy over here?"

"Well, no, but…"

"You know exactly why I don't want him here."

"But dad, we…"

"I don't want him here ever again!"

I felt like I had been slapped. I swallowed the lump in my throat after a long silence. I could barely speak, no wait, I couldn't speak at all past the sensation of my eyes becoming watery. I was trying to think of the words to defend myself, and found them.

"Dad, you don't even know him!"

He ignored me, and instead turned to face Yusei.

"Listen, you," my father's voice was deep and dark, "get out of this house. I don't ever want to see your face again. Do you understand me?"

"Dad!" I grabbed his arm and he swung his gaze from Yusei to me. "You get out, too!" he screamed at me, unable to control himself. He was being irrational. I had honestly thought that Yusei and I would have to give into that irrationality, but then my mom came home, her eyes blazing from the words my father had just said to Yusei and me.

An hour later, Yusei held me tight as I sobbed into his chest on the couch as I heard my parents agree to a divorce.


	11. Purpose

_Six months later…_

My face was about to fall off from smiling into the camera my mom was holding when Yusei saved my butt and convinced her that we had to leave or we'd be late.

"Okay, okay. No more pictures for mom. I get it." She winked at the two of us and laughed. I fixed Yusei's tie, the blue one I had convinced him to wear that matched my dress and his eyes. The corsage he got me was pinned to the strap of my dress and my heels clicked down the walkway as we hurried to his car.

I slid in the front seat, a seat I had personally claimed whenever there were multiple people in Yusei's car. I remember one time Crow suggested that we have a race to see who gets dibs on each car. I "accidentally" may have tripped him when he took off, resulting in my permanent claim of shotgun.

I couldn't help but think about how far I had come. Half a year ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be going to prom with the best guy in the whole world, much less someone so popular that actually cares about me.

We pull up to the venue and hand them our money. I roll my eyes at Yusei, annoyed that we have to pay so much to go to prom, and he laughs, leaving the administrator collecting money in a brief state of confusion.

The dance floor looked amazing. Streamers in black and silver shimmered from the ceilings. Banners of school competitions that we've won, trying to instigate school pride like a pep rally, hung on the side. Tables with big, buttery soft tablecloths, like they were made out of felt instead of that usual plastic, were placed in spiral from the center. _Not the most ideal choice for tablecloths, _I mused, _unless they're reusable. _

Overall, they did a nice job with the place. A steady, thumping beat ran through my veins as we jumped right into the party. As we danced with our friends, I noticed there was a stage with instruments. I smiled to myself, know that Yusei had a surprise for the school. He had recently put together his EP and sent it to a record company. They had gotten back to him this afternoon, saying that his music was incredible and that he should fly to their headquarters sometime during the week to get an interview and sign the record deal.

He had decided to name the EP _Sapphire's Ember_. I had wondered about the title, and asked him what it meant.

"Well, it's actually about us." he had explained. "I used our eye colors to show the relationship we have." He smiled.

"Why eye color?"

"Have you ever heard that the eyes are the gateway to the soul?"

I was a little skeptical, but then again, I had never really been a deep person, or at least not as much as I would have like to have been, before I met him.

It was like all sound was sucked away from me when he let go of my hands to ascend the stage, grabbed the mic and asked if everyone was having a good time. He was greeted with screams of approval, then said that he had a special performance for everyone, and hoped that they all liked it.

And as I heard his voice pierce through my soul again, sing the words he had written- _Something I can't see/ what could I do?/ keep myself in a glass case/ but really I fall right through_- it made me believe, with all my soul, that we had saved each other. It was like all I needed was to see him, see the person that he really was, not the way I wanted to see him. I needed to see him as the loving, brave young man he was, instead of the selfish asshole that he's labeled as.

I had ignored the look Sayer gave me when I accidentally bumped into him, mumbling an apology in his general direction.

He looked away and ran outside, apparently having not wanted to see me at all. I decided to go after him.

I found him crying in the parking lot, apparently waiting in the rain that had started to fall for someone to come and pick him up. Even though the rain soaked my hair and dress, I walked over to him anyway. He halfheartedly glared at me from behind his glasses, then looked away.

"Sayer."

He shook a little and I said his name again. "Sayer, look at me." He shook for a few more moments, standing in awkward silence with the soft patter of the rain all around us. His will eventually broke and he turned to look at me, trying to keep his face void of emotion.

"Sayer, I'm so sorry."

It broke in him, and he looked at me like he would never forgive me, and he said it.

"I understand that you're mad, Sayer. I get it. But what you need to understand is that I decided to be with the person that made me feel good, made me smile, and made me realize who I really was meant to be. And that person is Yusei."

Sayer looked away again.

"Haven't you ever noticed that he's nice to _everyone_? He's nice to you, and you know it! You just want someone to blame for your own insecurities, because in reality, you worry about how the world sees you. You needed a vessel for that pain, a person to hate, and you chose the last person on Earth who deserves your hate."

I heard a loud cheer from inside, and Sayer turned around to face me, mouth open in protest, but I cut him off.

"That man in there, the one you wanted so much in your heart to hate so much, is the person that could change your life. And I know he would! He's tried before, all the times he's helped you up after someone knocked you down."

Sayer was breathing hard, almost like he was angry. Then he slid down to his knees and cried silently, taking in the honesty of my words.

Now, any other person would have been seething with rage for talking about their boyfriend that way, they would have left Sayer to cry alone in the rain. But something in me had changed from being a part of the normalcy, and instead I tugged on his hand and pulled him up to look me in the eyes.

"He'll help you overcome the pain you feel, Sayer. You just have to let him."

I led him back inside. Yusei, Jack, Sherry and everyone else was waiting for me. I pulled Sayer into the group and introduced him. There was a silence for a moment, but all that went away when Yusei reached out and grasped his hand, a sincere smile on his lips.

Sayer smiled back at him and I was overcome with happiness all over again, like this is what they journey of my life really meant.

When Yusei and I slow danced in each other's arms, I sang to him the whole time.

The End

Author's Note: Not my original intent for how the story would end, but I started writing the scene between Akiza and Sayer in the parking lot and then I. Just. Couldn't. Stop. I hope everyone enjoyed the story!


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